Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, Sunday, urged civil servants in the state to emulate the virtues of the retired Permanent Secretary, Government House Administration, Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje.
Speaking at a grand reception in honour of the celebrant at the Events Centre, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori described Ogidi-Gbegbaje as an intelligent, humble, diligent, transparent, process driven, selfless, accountable and compassionate bureaucrat.
While congratulating the retired Permanent Secretary for his diligent and patriotic service to the state, Oborevwori said Ogidi-Gbegbaje was very helpful in the last seven months of my administration.
According to him, “a lot has been said about Sir Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje and I also have a personal experience about him while I was Speaker and in the last seven months as Governor of Delta State, we have worked very closely and he helped me to settle down quickly.
“Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje played his role very well, he is diligent in his duties and was always giving good and useful advise wherever he worked.
“Your service to humanity is something worth emulating and I must say that I enjoyed working with you. I congratulate you for 35 years of unblemished and meritorious service to the government and people of Delta State.
“We are going to miss you, the civil service will miss you, the machinery of government will miss you, you are retired but you are not tired, and your service is still needed.
“I want other civil servants to emulate your commitment to duty. So my message to other civil servants is that they should emulate Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje.
“If you look at his journey in the civil service from Bendel to Delta, you see his commitment to duty. Today, he has finished strong and we rejoice with him and his family”.
Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Information, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, congratulated the celebrant for a successful retirement from service and urged other civil servants to emulate his kind virtues and commitment to duty.
Earlier at the thanksgiving mass held at Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church, West End, Asaba, Very Rev. Fr. Peter Mobuogwu in his homily, urged those in authority to serve the people very well just as Christ came to serve and not to be served.
He said public service should be a glorious avenue to render service to the people and commended Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje for putting 35 years of his career in the service of Deltans.
The cleric charged public servants to serve the people as if they were handling their own private businesses just as the celebrant had served.
The celebrant, Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje said the thanksgiving was special for him because although his parents were successful in the civil service, they died before they were due for retirement and thanked God for his successful career and retirement from the civil service.
He said he took the trials and tribulations he experienced in service as lessons to be learnt, and commended those who took interest in his welfare and mentored him to reach the height of his career.
Wife of the Delta State Governor, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, wife of the Deputy Governor, Lady Catherine Onyeme, immediate past Governor of the State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and his wife, Edith, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, Senator Ighoyota Amori, the State Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Diai, President Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Catherine Ojugbana-Orishedere, among other top government functionaries and captains of industries, attended the thanksgiving mass and reception.